Welding Apprentice

Direct Engineering Welding Apprenticeships

Direct Engineering has two welding apprenticeships available due to the expansion of the fabrication section at Direct Engineering, based in Chesterfield. Direct Engineering is a diverse company with great opportunities and continues to invest in all new modern technologies to improve production and methods of manufacture.

Wage

• £15,392 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age.
• National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices.

Training Course

• Welder (level 2)

Hours

• Monday - Thursday, 7.45am - 4.45pm
• Friday, 7.45am - 2.15pm
• 37 hours a week

Start Date

• Monday 31 August 2026

Duration

• 1 year 6 months

Positions Available

• 2

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What You'll Do at Work

• MIG welding (mild steel)
• TIG welding (stainless steel & aluminum)
• Fabrication & assembly of components
• Manipulator welding
• General fabrication skills – sawing/grinding
• Orbital gas purged welding carried out by robotic arm

Where You'll Work

UNIT 1-4 HIGHLAND VIEW
FOXWOOD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
CHESTERFIELD
S41 9RN

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training Provider

• CHESTERFIELD COLLEGE

Training Course

• Welder (level 2)

Course Contents

• Apply health and safety procedures including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Collect and use information - text and data. For example, manufacturer's instructions, manuals, job instructions, drawings and quality control documentation.
• Prepare welding materials and work area: sourcing, checking and protecting.
• Prepare welding machines or equipment and safety protection measures, for example, check calibration and maintenance dates, inspection for cable damage.
• Check and use or operate tools and equipment.
• Set, modify and monitor welding controls, for example, current, arc voltage, wire feed speed, gas flow rates, polarity, mechanised tractor units.
• Identify issues and actions required. Escalate issues or concerns.
• Use manual processes and equipment to remove material before and after welding.
• Weld using processes, for example, tungsten inert gas (TIG), plasma arc welding (PAW), manual metal arc (MMA), metal inert or metal active gas (MIG or MAG), flux cored arc welding (FCAW), submerged arc welding (SAW), tractor-mounted metal inert or metal active gas (MIG or MAG), tractor-mounted flux cored arc welding (FCAW), tractor-mounted or orbital tungsten inert gas (TIG), tractor-mounted or orbital plasma arc welding (PAW).
• Adapt welding technique to weld different material groups, for example, carbon steel, low alloy steel (3-7% alloy content), high alloy ferritic or martensitic steel (>7% alloy content), austenitic stainless steel, duplex stainless steels, nickel and nickel alloys, aluminium and aluminium alloys, titanium and titanium alloys, copper and copper alloys.
• Weld materials in different joint configurations, for example, butt, T-butt, fillet, cladding or buttering.
• Adapt welding techniques to weld materials in different positions, for example, down-hand, horizontal-vertical, horizontal, vertical-up, vertical-down, overhead, inclined.
• Identify surface defects.
• Apply visual inspection, dimensional and alignment checks.
• Restore the work area on completion of the welding activity, for example, clean equipment and machinery, tidy the work area, return excess resources and consumables.
• Communicate verbally with others, for example, internal and external customers, colleagues, supervisors and managers.
• Follow procedures in line with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards and guidance. Segregate resources for re-use, recycling and disposal.
• Follow equity, diversity and inclusion procedures.
• Follow work instructions - verbal or written.
• Apply team working principles.